Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to get Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace

Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf shall receive the Indira GAndhi Prize for Peace Disarmament and Development 2012 from the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, tomorrow.

74-year-old Sirleaf, the first democratically elected women Head of State of any African nation, will be presented with the award at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

An economist, Sirleaf, who shared her Nobel Peace Prize 2011 with Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakel Karman of Yemen, was named among top 10 leaders by ‘Newsweek’ magazine in 2010.

The Indira Gandhi Prize or the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize or the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is the prestigious award accorded annually by India to individuals or organizations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom.

The prize carries a cash award of 25 lakh Indian rupees and a citation. A written work, in order to be eligible for consideration, should have been published.

The panel constituted by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust consists of prominent national and international personalities including previous recipients. The recipients are chosen from a pool of national and international nominees.